


who fixes the fixer?

by foundCarcosa



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-13 21:43:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3397418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foundCarcosa/pseuds/foundCarcosa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes it becomes painfully clear that Tony's just not all right, not anymore. But that's all right, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	who fixes the fixer?

"Maya’s good for her. Maya’s _great_ for her. Heh. Hell, I wish I’d thought of it first. Well, I mean, they probably would have both punched me if I so much as suggested it…”

Tony kicks off again, sending the stool spinning rapidly. His eyes scan the room. A silver ballpoint pen is clasped in one hand. He clicks it repeatedly, clickclick. Clickclick.

"Pepper should stick with Maya. I’m too busy, you know… always working, that’s me… yeah, they’re real good for each other. I’m glad. I’m real glad." Spin. Scan. Clickclick. Clickclick.

"I should… Shouldn’t I be doing something? Where is…" Stop. Scan. Click. _Scan._ ”JARVIS. I haven't heard his voice at all. Did he go to sleep? Did I forget to—”

Rhodes clears his throat. “Tony…”

"Rhodey?" Tony’s eyes clear, focus on him, then widen in alarm. "Shit. What happened? You’re never here unless something bad happened. I missed something, didn’t I. A… a visit with the President, a press con… oh god, did I forget Pepper’s birthday again? Is that why she… I _told_ JARVIS— why isn’t—”

"Tony!" Rhodes sits up from his reclined position, tossing the Sports Illustrated onto the glass coffee table. "Focus, man. Nothing’s wrong. I’ve been here the whole time."

"Am I on lockdown again? What did I do this time? I’m always doing something." Tony tosses his hands in the air. The pen flies out, clatters to the floor some feet away. He spins to track the source of the sound, sweat breaking out on his brow. _"Fuck,”_ he utters weakly, his brain feeling too big for his skull and his skin feeling too tight for the rest of him.

Footsteps as Rhodey comes closer, leans over, tries to get Tony to look at him without touching him. “Hey. Just take a…”

"She’s going to leave me, James," and Rhodes blinks at the name Tony rarely uses for him, the detached and impersonal given name that Rhodes had never quite gotten comfortable with being called, ever. "They’re great for each other, her and Maya. What can I give her? Hell, you can _buy_ a cock nowadays, what do they need _me_ for?”

"Tony…"

"You, too. You… you’ve dealt with me for way too long. Aren’t you tired? I’m tired."

"No one’s going anywhere. Come on, Tony, you’re freaking me out here."

"I know." Tony closes his eyes, takes a shuddering breath, but a shuddering sob replaces the exhale he’d intended. He can feel pieces of himself flying off, like shrapnel exploding outwards, like pieces of the iron suit disintegrating as it detaches from his small fleshy useless body. _You’re freaking me out here._ Isn’t that how everyone felt? _"What’s happened to Tony Stark?"_ the headlines read, _"What’s wrong with Tony Stark? Can he be fixed?"_ And even if they didn’t say that now, they would. They would…

Rhodes’ hands close cautiously around his shoulders, and when Tony doesn’t wrench away, he crouches and hugs the smaller man, and it’s easier to let the anxiety shudder through him and spill outward with Rhodes’ arms around him, holding as much of him together as Rhodes can manage — Rhodes, who never flew apart, who had always been solid and warm and steady, who always seemed to know what Tony needed, whether it was a fight or a flight or… this.

"Nobody’s leaving. Not Pepper, and sure as hell not me. Get that thought right out of your head, you hear me?"

It doesn’t go away; it never goes away, and Tony can’t remember a time when it had. But for a moment it lacks power, fades out and shuts down like a broken machine, and that’s a lot better than nothing.

"Rhodey," he sighs, weary but grateful, and Rhodes smiles and presses his lips to Tony’s sweat-damp hair.

"We’ll fix things. Together. That’s what we do."


End file.
